The present invention is directed to a beverage dispensing or brewing machine. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a beverage dispensing or brewing machine comprising a delivery means suitable to deliver a beverage enhancing component to a beverage precursor. The delivery means is suitable to deliver beverage enhancing component to the beverage precursor directly, to the diluent directly, to the beverage precursor when it is being combined with diluent or after the beverage precursor has been combined with diluent. The beverage dispensed from the beverage dispensing machine of the present invention has superior flavor and aroma characteristics.
Methods for preparing ready-to-dispense beverages, like tea beverages, are known. For example, many food establishments have brewing systems that dispense tea-based beverages ready for consumption. Typically, such systems operate by mixing an instant tea or a brewed tea concentrate with hot water to produce a hot water composition that is combined with cold water to thereby produce a tea beverage that is ready to drink.
Unfortunately, however, when preparing beverages, like tea beverages, from a beverage precursor in the manner described above, the beverages often have, for example, flavor and aroma characteristics that do not meet desired expectations, especially when the beverage precursor employed has aged. This is true because beverage enhancing components, like flavor- and aroma-generating compounds found in beverage precursors, typically, degrade within the beverage precursor, a direct result of their unstable nature in the presence of conventional beverage precursor components.
It is of increasing interest to develop a beverage dispensing machine that comprises a delivery means for delivering a beverage enhancing component (not formulated within a beverage precursor) to a beverage precursor. This invention, therefore, is directed to a beverage dispensing machine comprising a delivery means suitable to deliver a beverage enhancing component to a beverage precursor directly, to a diluent directly, to the beverage precursor when it is being combined with diluent, or to a mixture comprising beverage precursor and diluent. Such an apparatus can store beverage precursor and beverage enhancing component separately from each other. The apparatus can also deliver beverage precursor and beverage enhancing component so that a beverage, of superior flavor and aroma, can be made for consumption.
Additional Information
Efforts have been disclosed for making beverages. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,570, a brewed tea concentrate suitable for making a tea beverage is described.
Still other efforts have been disclosed for dispensing beverages. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,009, a beverage brewing system on a serving cart assembly is described.
Even other efforts have been disclosed for dispensing beverages. In World Application WO 01/65985, a brewing device having automatic and semi-automatic brewing modes is described.
None of the additional information above describes a beverage dispensing machine comprising a delivery means suitable to deliver a beverage enhancing component to a beverage precursor within the beverage dispensing machine.
In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a kit for modifying a conventional beverage dispensing machine, the kit comprises:
(i) a delivery means comprising:
a) a pump head operatively connectable to an existing food grade pump within the beverage brewing machine, or a food grade pump with a pump head suitable for addition to the beverage dispensing machine;
b) a first conduit for transporting the beverage enhancing component to an inlet of the pump head;
c) at least one fitting means for connecting the first conduit to the inlet of the pump head;
d) a second conduit for transporting beverage enhancing component from the pump head to beverage precursor within the beverage dispensing machine;
e) at least one fitting means for connecting the second conduit to an outlet of the pump head, and at least one fitting means for connecting the second conduit to a conduit for supplying beverage precursor or to a storage compartment storing beverage precursor or to a diluent feed conduit or to a combination thereof;
f) optionally, a storage device for storing beverage enhancing component; and
(ii) instructions for modifying the beverage dispensing machine with the delivery means.
In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a beverage dispensing machine comprising the delivery means of the first aspect of this invention.
Beverage precursor, as defined herein, is meant to mean a material that can be contacted with a diluent, like water, to produce a beverage, including a liquid extract or concentrate, powder or ground bean, such as ground coffee bean.
Delivery means is defined to mean a means for delivering a beverage enhancing component, in addition to the mechanism for delivering beverage precursor.
Beverage enhancing component is defined to mean a component that is naturally found in beverage precursor. Such a beverage enhancing component may be isolated from beverage precursor and is preferably a liquid at ambient temperature. Illustrative beverage enhancing components include flavor-generating compounds, aromagenerating compounds, color-generating compounds and the like. Moreover, typical beverage additives like milk and table sugar for coffee and tea, are not beverage enhancing components as defined herein.
Beverage means a liquid composition that a consumer may drink, either hot or cold. Beverage, therefore, is meant to include coffee and tea-based beverages, whereby coffee beverages are derived from a coffee bean and include ground coffee, and tea-based beverages are derived from Camillia sinensis and also include herbal teas.